A Face In The Mirror
by clarisse.shaina
Summary: Post-series- Ch5: Robin has gone from being hunted to being HAUNTED. As her new friend tries to save her from the witch that has been chasing her, her friends from STN-J try to figure out how she has disappeared seemingly from the face of the earth.
1. Prologue: Reflections

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Witch Hunter Robin. **

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**PROLOGUE: **

**REFLECTIONS**

'Do angels really fall from the sky?' Amon found himself wondering. He took a chair by the breakfast table, and looked over to the kitchen counter while smoothing his black shirt. A girl was standing there, no, she was a woman now. The light from the window illuminated her ivory skin, making it seem as soft as ever. She wore a white summer dress which fitted her well, carefully showing off her slender figure. Her golden hair ran down the length of her back, shimmering under the sun. He liked it when she let her hair loose. She looked like an angel, and moved with the grace of one.

He found himself entranced to the sight he beheld and stared at the light illuminated figure. At that moment he couldn't think of any reason why anyone would even think of calling her the Devil's Child, but then he was reminded of the overwhelming powers she possessed. It brought back memories. Memories he didn't really like reminiscing about. But he also knew he couldn't forget about them.

_He remembered the day it happened so clearly. He had escaped with Robin after their subordinates fled, right before Zaizen's Research Lab collapsed. He was injured then by an Orbo bullet but made it out just in time. Robin took him to a hospital, he recalled, and there fell asleep. When he woke, Robin was nowhere to be seen. He quickly got up from the hospital bed and left, ignoring the protests of the nurses. On his way out of the hospital he met up with Robin. She was wearing her usual black dress and coat with her hair hanging loose. He thought she looked different that way._

"_Where have you been?" He asked in his cold manner._

"_I've been to see them. I'm glad they are well." Robin replied, hesitantly she added, "I went to see Nagira also. All of them are doing fine."_

"_You went out without me!" Amon exclaimed._

"_I thought you needed to rest." Robin answered truthfully._

"_I am your partner unless you think otherwise, Robin." He told her, "And your protector."_

_Robin seemed surprised at the additional words and recalled her visions of Amon shooting her with his Orbo gun. She always thought of that. "I'm sorry…" _

"_It's fine," Amon said, slightly shaking his head. "What's done is done."_

"_Shouldn't you go back to your room?" Robin asked him, trying to change the subject but with a hint of worry at the same time._

"_My wounds are healed," he told her, and it was true. He had an exceptional ability of healing quickly._

"_I'm sorry, Amon. I just thought I'd let them know we were okay and see if they were as well. They are operating again. They even thought I was a replacement hunter. I'm really glad." She told him with a smile._

"_Robin, you must promise me never to talk to anyone again. Especially not them. Somehow I don't think everything is over yet. We must leave at once."_

"_Leave? Leave where?" Robin asked him as he took her by the hand and hurried to the elevator._

"_You'll have to trust me." Was all he answered as he stepped into the elevator, his hand still holding Robin's, and pushed a button._

_Robin smiled. "I already told you, Amon. I believe in your heart." And with that, the elevator doors shut tight._

"Would you like some eggs, Amon?" the girl asked softly, if not shyly.

Amon gave a startled blink and quickly regained his stony composure, he had been daydreaming again. And here he said he didn't want to think of the past, "Yes, I'd like some," he answered in his usual manner. Amon had always been serious, and direct oftentimes, even stern, but he knew what _must_ be done apart from what _can_ be done, and he does it. And right now, he is doing what he thinks is right. He watched with following eyes as the girl set a plate of eggs and some bread on the table before him. "Robin, why don't you join me?"

Robin seemed surprised by the offer and tucked her hair behind her left ear cautiously. Politely, she replied "It's all right, Amon. I can eat later." She noticed the bulk of an Orbo gun tucked under Amon's shirt. 'He always has them with him. For safety he says… Safety from me.' she thought sadly. And she was sure he had the Orbo necklace with him as well. She looked away quickly.

"Take a seat and have some breakfast," Amon insisted, and found himself surprised at doing so.

Robin didn't seem to notice any difference with his behavior. She took a seat across him and stared at the tabletop while Amon took a bite of his bread. "How long has it been?" Robin murmured softly, but loud enough for Amon to hear.

They had been hiding in the outskirts of a small village in Italy ever since the incident with STN-J. In a small but comfortable two-story house. Amon thought it best if they didn't contact anybody from the outside world, for Robin at least. He feared someone might have been looking for her and he couldn't risk it. He always told her to stay inside while he attended to buying groceries or anything Robin might need in the house. Robin didn't mind really, she found herself practicing and exercising control over her powers while he was away, she didn't even need to wear her glasses as much anymore. But there are times when she just felt lonely without the company of her former friends. Amon wasn't the kind you could talk to about things.

"I don't think you should worry about time," Amon told her.

"I… No, I guess not. It's just that, I wonder how they are doing. I mean… It has been a long time since…" she never got the chance to finish what she was saying. He abruptly stopped eating and stood up from the table. This was one thing Amon avoided profusely to talk about. He started moving towards his room. "Amon…" Robin called out.

He stopped and without turning to face her, said, "Don't worry, Robin. You have all the time in the world, I promise you that." Then, he left. A little while later, Robin heard the gentle shutting of Amon's bedroom door.

She looked at Amon's half finished plate and sighed.

After clearing up the plates, Robin made her way up the stairs to her room. The morning sun shone brightly as she passed by a window, but she didn't feel like it was morning at all.

She went into her room and plopped down her bed, shutting her eyes she tried to remember her friends. Michael, Doujima, Karasuma, Sakaki… She remembered their names, but their faces were now all a blur to her. She remembered the good times they had together though, and all the help and support she received from them.

She had been without their company for almost four years now; hiding away like some fugitive under a death sentence like she was. It had been hard for her to do it, but she did it for Amon. After all the trouble he went through to help her escape, she couldn't let it all just go to waste. She practically owed him her life. But somehow, she didn't feel grateful.

She gave her head a little shake to remove the thought from her head. The last thing she wanted to be was _ungrateful_. She stood up and peered through a window; the only things that connected her to the outside world.

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_Robin._

The name rang in his head like a bell. It buzzed through his ears and came out through his mouth.

"Robin," he whispered. The room was dark, with the curtains draped over the windows. Amon was lying down on his bed naked from the waist up, staring at the ceiling. He could see her face so clearly. He wanted so badly to reach for it but knew he couldn't. He was imagining it, besides, what would Robin want with a cold-hearted man like him? Tossing and turning, he tried to sleep until Robin would call him out for lunch. Robin. That name kept running nonstop through his mind. His heart kept shouting to him, beckoning him, encouraging him. Robin, it said. It was really all it ever did say.

Amon sat up at the edge of his bed and stared at his hands. "Robin…" he whispered again, and let himself fall down to the bed. Lately, she was all he could think of. It was very much unlike him. 'What's happening to me?' he asked himself. He didn't need to wait for an answer to know. Robin. That's what happened to him.

_Robin._

'I want to protect her.' Amon was thinking, 'I want to be the one who takes care of her for the rest of her life.' He found himself confused by his thoughts. These kinds of words were unusual to him. These feelings were as well, but he liked how it felt. He liked how he could think of Robin all the time. How he could think of her face; her eyes, her lips…

"Maybe I know she'll never let me…" Amon muttered. There was a pang of pain when he said that. Robin would never let him do anything that would lay his life on the line for her. "Maybe I know I could never…" he trailed off. He didn't want to finish that thought, much less think of it. It wasn't like him to think of such things. These were his feelings. His feelings weren't important. He had a job to do and that was to hide, and to run. But could they possibly do that forever?

He gave a long sigh and lied back down.

_Robin._

Amon shut his eyes and there she was. Her face, her smile.

_Robin._

He could see himself with her. She was happily watching the sunset with him. Just the two of them.

_Robin._

He saw himself with his arms around her, protecting her. He warded off enemies using his gun. She was so close to him.

_Robin._

He loved her and she loved him. It was all he could ask for…

Amon suddenly sat up, feeling angry for thinking such thoughts. He knew what he shouldn't do as well as what he should. But then, nobody ever told him not to fall in love. He stood up and gave the wall a hard punch, hoping to get some sense into his head through his knuckles. His knuckles turned white from gripping so hard. Why was he thinking this? In his head he pictured Robin living her life happily with a man. A man who made her smile all the time. A man who took care of her. A man who he wished could be him. 'A man she could actually love.' He thought regretfully, and gave the wall another punch, not because he was thinking such thoughts but because he knew it could never be him.

"Amon-?" Robin asked urgently behind the slightly opened door.

"How long have you been there?" Amon almost shouted.

"Amon? What's the matter?" There was a hint of worry in Robin's voice. "What's wrong with you?"

"Robin, it's…" Amon thought of something to say, but as he looked into her beautiful emerald eyes, he couldn't possibly tell a lie. Or could he? "It's nothing." He said silently, going back to his old self.

_Robin._

The name now rang in his head in a frenzy. He felt his stomach clench and unclench. Robin was there, just outside his room and he was acting aggressive, he had no shirt on besides. Quickly, he searched for what he had been wearing earlier. Robin muttered something weakly as she shut the door silently.

Amon froze as he heard the soft shutting click of the door. He gave out a sigh and grabbed his black shirt. His Orbo necklace shone in the dark like a small star and he quickly put his shirt over it.

He rushed out of his room and found Robin sitting on the breakfast table staring at the window where she had been standing near earlier that morning. She had her back to him and seemed to be thinking deeply not to notice his presence. 'She is thinking of something that burdens her heart.' He observed, and decided to wait a little while more. 'Robin…'

Robin was lost in her thoughts. She had been living with him for a good four years and surely he was always cold and emotionless. She was used to it already for he used to be her partner when she worked as an agent for STN-J, but seeing him having a violent reaction was a bit different. In her mind she could see him standing over her with an Orbo gun aimed at her and ready to shoot. And she pictured herself letting him. Amon was different now. She wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.

Amon took a few steps forward when he saw Robin wipe off what seemed to be tears when he heard a soft cluttering sound coming from the front door. He turned to look that way. Robin felt it, too. She stood up and was surprised to see Amon there. The sound grew into a louder clutter until the hanging utensils in the kitchen started to vibrate.

"What- What's going on?" Robin asked as she edged closer to Amon.

"Did you lock the doors?" Amon asked her urgently.

"I did." She answered.

"Robin, hide in my room." He told her.

"What!" Robin exclaimed.

"Hide in my room. Now." He commanded her firmly.

"No, Amon." She said stubbornly.

Amon was the least bit surprised with her behavior. "Please," he begged.

Surprise was written all over Robin's face. 'Please?' Amon actually said it. "Amon… You have changed…" she told him softly and ran to his room just like he told her to.

Amon tried to process what Robin had been telling him. How was he changing? He couldn't understand what she meant by him changing. And if he did, he probably couldn't tell her why. The cluttering suddenly grew into an earthquake like vibration, rocking the house like a cradle. Amon balanced himself to the wall to avoid falling and pulled out his loaded Orbo gun.

He pushed the other thoughts aside and thought of only one thing; protecting Robin. He aimed his gun toward the front door, waiting for an attack. The earthquake came again and the front door creaked open. It was a hair tingling sound. Despite the sunshine outside, the front porch was pitch black. Amon was surprised at the occurrence and a thought entered his mind. Witchcraft. A little later he heard footsteps.

"Hold your fire!" A man's voice said through the dark.

That voice, it was familiar to Amon somehow. Amon kept his gun raised still. "Show yourself!" he shouted. He couldn't let his guard down just because he _thought_ he recognized the voice. A few other footsteps joined that of the first ones as a group of people stepped into the light.

"What!" Amon let out a shocked expression, his gun still pointed at the ones who just came in. "What are you doing here?" He didn't even have to ask, he knew the answer all too well. In his mind, only one thing remained.

_Robin.

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**Author's Notes:** I hope you understood my initial idea that the italicized words make up Amon's flashback. Anyway, I hope you liked this prologue, I just thought I'd give a bit of an idea of how this story is going to be like in the future. I hope you guys will read and review because it will be very much appreciated by me. Thanks a lot! I'll update as soon as I get enough reviews so please be patient with me. :-) 


	2. Chapter One: Hidden Skeletons

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it. WHR, I mean. But I do own the story so please don't copy it.**

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**CHAPTER ONE:**

**HIDDEN SKELETONS**

Amon took a sip of coffee with his eyes closed and his mind racing. He was sitting in a coffee shop near Robin and his home with a group of people looking at him expectantly. The street outside was filled with bustling people, he was guessing morning shopping. He fixed his attention to the question at hand. Coming to a conlusion, he set down his coffee cup gently and answered firmly, "No."

"What? No?" A woman with long, wavy, dirty blonde hair repeated. "Why not?" then she raised an eyebrow, "You didn't-!"

"Didn't what, Doujima?" A young man asked.

"Well, Sakaki, what do you think?" the girl named Doujima told him, "Amon is in his late 20's and Robin is already 20. And they've been living together for _four_ years, right?" she winked at him playfully.

Sakaki's face reddened. "N-NO WAY!" he exclaimed loudly, catching nearby people's attentions. "A- Amon, you didn't! Tell me you didn't!" he said in a more hushed voice.

"What are you all talking about?" A woman, also in her late 20's asked them as she took a silent sip of coffee.

"Karasuma, maybe the reason why Amon refuses to come back with us, let alone allow us to see Robin is…" Doujima leaned closer to whisper into the woman Karasuma's ear.

Karasuma's eyebrows shot up, "It's a dumb idea." She said, but turned to look at Amon suspiciously.

"I didn't kill her if that's what you're thinking." Amon told them simply.

"No, that's not what we were talking about." Doujima told him playfully.

"Huh? I don't think I get it." A man wearing orange glasses said.

"Well… it's-" Doujima started to say only to be interrupted by Amon.

"How did you get out of the office, Michael?" Amon asked the orange-glassed youth.

"Got rid of the necklace." He said with a smile, all the while pointing to where his necklace, which was actually a tracking device, used to be.

Amon nodded in acknowledgement as Doujima shouted at him, "Hey! Don't change the subject!" Amon just sighed and took a sip of coffee. "You got Robin pregnant, didn't you! That's why-"

Amon abruptly stopped sipping his coffee and shot a dangerous look at Doujima. His ears flushed red from embarrassment, and from the thought. He left the bill on the table and left the shop, with everyone else following him.

"I can't believe you even thought of that!" Michael told Doujima, shaking his head.

"Yeah!" Sakaki agreed, pretending to be outraged but all the while ashamed.

"I told you it was a stupid idea." Karasuma stated.

Amon looked at all of them levelly and they silenced.

"Robin?" Michael suddenly said, looking over Amon's shoulder.

"Huh?" Doujima asked, and looked over at where Michael was looking. "Robin!"

They all looked, including Amon. It _was_ Robin. She was running through the small marketplace, dodging people; the smell of fish and fresh baked bread filling her nostrils. She was wearing a white sweater on top of her white sundress with the hood hiding her face. Nevertheless, people who knew her could tell undoubtedly that it was her.

Amon's hard face tightened even more as he watched Robin running towards their direction, getting pushed by bustling shoppers all around. A large man carrying a bag of apples and another bag of oranges was stomping angrily as he dashed off and knocked Robin to the dusty ground, his bag of apples falling alongside her. All of a sudden, a young man with blonde hair appeared and caught Robin by the waist, preventing her fall. Her hood slid backwards, revealing her face.

Amon's hand unconsciously traveled to his hidden gun.

"Are we just going to stand here?" Michael asked.

Karasuma looked at Amon at the corner of her eye.

"Well, we're here, might as well help. Right, Amon?" Doujima asked pointedly. When Amon didn't answer, Doujima merely shrugged and walked over to where people started gathering around to calm the outraged man.

The large man started shouting, "Look at what you did to my apples!"

"I'm so sorry, we did not mean any harm." The young blonde boy said, backing off slowly with Robin behind him.

"YOU DAMN RIGHT BETTER NOT!" the large man grunted as he took a step forward.

Footsteps came running from the other direction as a group of men arrived to the scene. "Master!" one called. All of them were wearing sunglasses and dressed in suits.

'Master?' Robin wondered and looked at the man before her. He wasn't wearing anything formal, just a casual white polo shirt and brown pants. But he always had an air of authority about him, Robin observed. 'What did they mean master?' she wondered still as the young man raised a hand which stopped the suit-clad men from moving or saying any more.

"Look, sir. Perhaps I could buy you some new apples." The young man suggested graciously. The older man started to rub his chin, considering the proposal.

Robin was surprised at the young man's eagerness to help her and tapped him gently on the shoulder. He turned around and for the first time, Robin saw his eyes. They were a beautiful blue, as deep as the ocean. They were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. She stood there, gaping.

"What is it?" The young man asked her gently.

"I- uh…" Was all Robin managed to say. Those eyes were staring deep into hers. She suddenly felt a tingle in her stomach.

"All right, little boy," The large man said, now calm. The young man turned around and Robin seemed to fall out of a trance. She clutched her head and felt light-headed. "I'll take you up on that offer."

The young man nodded his head towards the man who had called out to him. The man nodded back and approached. He bowed gracefully at the large shopper and gestured towards an apple stall, "I shall escort you, sir."

Robin stood there, staring at them as the crowd slowly dispersed.

"Are you all right, miss?" the young man asked her.

"Oh, huh?" Robin murmured, looking at the man's eyes again. They were so irresistibly beautiful.

"Are you all right?" he asked her gently once again.

Robin swallowed and nodded. He smiled pleasantly and she smiled back.

"Robin."

"A-Amon…" Robin turned around abruptly, forgetting about the young man. "Amon, I'm sorry."

The young man nodded towards Amon as he left them to join his men. Amon nodded back at him. He looked at Robin for the last time, and turned to leave.

Doujima looked delighted, "Robin! You're wearing white for a change! You look gorgeous! And you let you hair down!"

"Robin!" Amon hissed angrily.

Doujima quieted from Amon's violent reaction. Robin even took a step backward.

Robin opened her mouth to speak but Amon's glare seemed to make her at a loss for words. 'If looks could kill, I would have been dead a long time ago,' she thought. Then an image floated to the back of her mind of Amon pulling out his Orbo gun to shoot her right there and then, in front of all her old friends. In front of all these people. 'He wouldn't even need an Orbo gun.'

Robin stared at Amon innocently and it was all he could take. He lifted his glare from Robin and looked at all the others. His glare was still like daggers, piercing through everyone there.

"I'm sorry, Amon." Robin told him, "But you left without telling me where you were going, and you even left this behind." She fished through her sweater pocket and produced a small cell phone. Amon took it and kept it in his pocket.

"Thank you," he told her, and she smiled at him.

"Robin," Doujima called playfully, "How have you been? Has he done anything to you? Anything at all?"

"No," Robin answered truthfully, "He's been protecting me."

Everybody seemed surprised at the answer.

"Really? That's great then! Amon and you can come back to Japan with us and he can protect you there." Sakaki suggested.

"We all will do everything we can to protect you." Michael added.

Karasuma nodded in agreement.

"Go back to Japan?" Robin cleared. When everyone nodded, she turned her gaze on Amon, he was looking down at the ground. "Amon?"

"Hmm?" he looked up at her. Of course she was shorter than him, so still he looked down at her.

"I want to go… I want to go back, Amon." She told him.

"It's not that easy." He told her.

"But, Amon…" Robin started to argue but Amon told his reasons before she could speak.

"We don't have a home, and work" he told her.

"Well, I've got an empty space in my apartment that maybe you could rent and as for work, the chief already told us he'll accept you." Sakaki told them.

"Chief Kosaka? STN-J wouldn't accept me. Not after what I've done." He said.

"STN-J? What are you talking about? We aren't part of that anymore. We are a whole independent company backed up by military support, you know?" Sakaki informed them proudly.

"Oh…?" Robin asked.

"Yup, we are undercover as private detectives while hunting witches." Michael answered, drawing looks from Karasuma and Doujima at the mention of the word 'witch'. "Of course I'm still just the computer guy." He said to lift the mood.

"Amon…" Robin tried again to convince Amon but he took her by the hand and led her away, "Let's go back home."

"But, Amon!" Robin protested, trying to pry Amon's strong grip open. She could almost get his hand off when Amon scooped her up and carried her instead. "Amon! Put me down. I want to talk to them, please!"

"No, Robin. This is for the best." He told her.

"WAIT!" Doujima called out as Sakaki and Michael ran to cover Amon's path. "Amon, what do you think you're doing! Robin has her own free will. And besides, we were all so worried about you two, we began to believe you were all dead but then Touko-"

"Doujima!" Sakaki and Karasuma shot at her at the same time.

"Touko?" Amon asked as he set Robin down.

"Amon," Robin confronted Amon, "That's right! Don't you want to see Touko again? Don't you want to take her out or bring her home when it rains?" Robin asked him, recalling what he had seen before of Amon holding the umbrella for Touko in the rain.

Amon's brows met in the middle, "Robin, that day at the hospital. You told me you went to see _them_." He didn't want to think of Touko.

"I…" Robin looked down.

Amon's expressions hardened even more, "Forget it. Let's talk about this back at the house." He started walking away.

The others followed him but Robin stayed behind, suddenly remembering something.

"Where did he go?" Robin muttered to herself, looking around. "I didn't even get to thank him. I don't even know his name." she remembered his eyes and she felt another tingle.

"Robin!" Doujima called out from the distance, waving at her.

"Coming!" Robin called back, but softly. She ran towards Doujima, passing a couple of stalls.

The young blonde man was standing at a fruit stall and he turned around as Robin passed by, just in time to catch her porcelain face. "Robin…" he whispered and walked away.

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The sun was setting. Robin stood by her bedroom window, watching it. She couldn't tell Amon what she really did that day at the hospital, she was sure he would get mad.

_"Please don't tell anyone." Robin had said. Eyeing the book._

_"You know I won't. Heck, I'm in too deep already, I'm not going to tell anyone." A man answered._

_Robin nodded._

_"You just take care of yourself, Robin. Don't overuse your powers." Nagira told her, "I'll keep this, I promise."_

_"Thank you, Nagira." Robin told the man. _

"_What about Amon, is he okay?" Nagira asked._

"_Yes, I took him to the hospital." She said as she glanced at her watch. "I have to go now."_

"_You know what's funny? I was reading my horoscope earlier and it said that my lucky color today was black, and that I was going to have a delightful meeting with someone. I guess this is it." Nagira told her._

"_I guess." Robin answered with a smile and left._

A knock came to the door, startling Robin out of her thoughts. "Robin?"

"Michael." Robin called, "Come in."

Michael popped his head through the slight opening, "Dinner's ready." The guests had volunteered to cook them dinner that night.

"Okay." Robin told him.

"Oh, Robin." Michael added, scratching his head, looking embarrassed. "Could you please call in Amon for dinner? I'm kind of scared of him right now."

Robin smiled, "Sure." As she stepped out of the room, she saw Amon in front of her holding up an Orbo gun. She stumbled back and grabbed the nearest closet to balance herself.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked.

Robin blinked and Amon was gone. "I- Nothing." She said as she stood back up and smoothed her dress.

She went to the stairs and looked back at where Amon had stood. She shook her head. 'That was just my imagination.' She concluded.

Robin walked over to Amon's room and tapped the door gently. It creaked open. It wasn't closed properly to begin with. She saw Amon inside, pacing in circles. He was talking to someone on his cell phone. "I can't believe it." He said.

He paused, waiting for the person on the other end to answer. "I trusted you. I told you not to tell anyone! I told you not to tell, Touko!"

"Touko?" Robin gasped. Amon turned to look as he clicked his cell phone shut. They looked at each other wide-eyed for a moment. Robin looked down at the floor. "Dinner's ready."

"Robin-" Amon attempted but Robin shut the door before he could reach her.

'So we've both been keeping secrets.' Robin said sadly as she sighed. 'He's been talking to Touko, even telling her where we were. I suppose that's the kind of thing you tell your girlfriend.' She walked over into the kitchen.

"You've gotten exceptionally strong, Karasuma!" Sakaki was saying heartily.

"Oh hello, Robin!" Michael greeted. "Amon?"

Robin nodded.

"Hey, Robin. Do you know who caused that earthquake?" Sakaki asked.

"Don't you dare!" Karasuma warned him.

"It was Karasuma! Amazing, huh!" Sakaki told Robin.

"How did she do that?" Robin asked.

"She used all the thoughts that were stored in this house and made them bounce against each other." Michael said. "Kind of sounds impossible but you yourself had bear witness enough to that."

"So that caused the earthquake, I see." Robin said as she took a seat.

"What about the darkness on the porch on that clear morning?" Amon asked as he stepped inside and took the seat across Robin's. She fixed her gaze on her plate, Amon noticed.

"Well, that is kind of the side effect. She gets wrapped in this darkness for a little while right after she does that trick." Sakaki answered looking at Karasuma. "I've seen it countless times. I say it's not healthy. Just like when Robin uses her flames. It deteriorates her eyesight, right? I wonder what this does to Karasuma…"

"Thanks for your concern but I feel perfectly fine." Karasuma told them.

"Well, that's good then." Sakaki answered. "I'd have a hard time finding another partner who's responsible."

"Hey! Are you trying to say something!" Doujima said angrily.

Robin stayed quiet, staring at her plate.

"Robin?" Michael called her. "Robin?"

"Huh?" Robin said, looking up. Everyone was staring at her.

"Are you okay, Robin? You look pale." Doujima was saying worriedly.

"I'm fine, don't worry." She reassured them. A cell phone began to ring from somewhere in the house. It was loud which meant it came from Amon's room nearby. Robin looked at Amon. "Are you going to get that?"

Amon looked back and stood up. A little later, the ringing stopped.

"I sense tension." Karasuma said.

"I know! I don't even have to be Karasuma to see it. What's going on between you two, Robin?" Doujima asked, shaking her head in disapproval.

"I don't think that's what Karasuma meant." Sakaki said, standing up.

"Hurry! Take cover!" Karasuma commanded, taking out her gun.

Robin quickly stood up as Sakaki and Doujima pulled out their guns as well. Michael backed away and hid under the table, as Karasuma told him to.

"Robin!" Michael called from under the table.

"Robin, you must hide as well." Karasuma told her.

Robin turned around to protest and as she did, a gunshot was heard and Robin felt it pass right beneath her left ear. It landed in the wall behind her.

"Robin! Are you all right?" Doujima asked her, checking for wounds.

A man stepped into the kitchen. He was wearing a masquerade mask and a black cloak along it. He had dark brown hair.

"Damn it!" Karasuma exclaimed as she started shooting at him. "How did he find us here?"

The man was unaffected by the Orbo bullets. They didn't even get close enough to hurt him.

"Michael, I need you to get yourself and Robin out of here." Karasuma commanded.

"Roger!" Michael said as he swiftly slid away from the safety of the table and took Robin by the arm. She didn't move.

Robin stood there, taking in the sight. "Oh no…" she whispered.

The man stepped closer as Sakaki and Doujima joined in the shooting. He was using some kind of barrier craft which prevented him from being affected by the bullets.

"Robin!" Michael started to panic as the man stepped closer, pushing aside in one swift motion the three who had been shooting at him. They hit the walls on their backs and dropped down the floor, writhing in pain.

"Target spotted." The man was saying through his microphone. He started to raise his gun at Robin as Michael dragged Robin away with difficulty.

"Robin! Snap out of it! We have to go!" Michael told her.

Robin's eyes started to fill with tears as she shut them tight. "NO!" she screamed.

The man fell down the floor as Amon tackled him, causing his mask to fall and shatter. "Run! NOW!" he grunted. The two were struggling with the gun as a few shots flew off to the roof.

"NO!" Robin shouted hysterically. She pulled her hand away from Michael as she stood up straight. She opened her eyes and flames started to circle around her.

"Robin! Stop!" Michael shouted, but he couldn't get near her without being burnt.

Karasuma started to moan as she stood up. Sakaki did the same. Doujima rubbed her back as she watched the two men wrestle. Then her eyes traveled to Robin.

"Robin, stop!" Michael was shouting.

"Please… Go…" Robin whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the floor as white flames.

"Robin…" Doujima whispered standing up.

The man was beginning to get the upper hand as he kicked Amon away from on top of him. Amon was sent crashing to the table. The man stood up, his face bloodied, but his hand still clutching his gun.

"NO!" Robin screamed as flames enveloped the man. They disappeared suddenly as the man took a step forward. "What!"

"My special barrier works well against flames, girl." He said, laughing mockingly. He raised his gun, "Now die!" he pulled the trigger.

Amon threw himself between Robin and the bullet. It shot him straight in the chest.

The flames around Robin suddenly disappeared. "AMON!" she shouted, wide-eyed in shock. This was not the first time this happened. She remembered the last time he stepped in between a bullet and its target's way. He had taken another bullet now. _Another_ bullet.

He dropped to the floor and screamed in agony.

"Foolish thing to do!" the man told him. "This is a new special bullet that works especially for witches. It eats at your flesh from the inside; causing so much pain you'd wish your father had never laid eyes on your mother."

"DAMN!" Karasuma shouted in frustration as she shot at the man. He ignored it completely.

"Heh!" Amon spat as he stood up shakily, "Too bad for you, I'm not a witch!" he said as he grabbed the man by the shoulders.

The man's eyes started to roll back in his head as he writhed to pull free of Amon's grip. Smoke started to rise from Amon's hands. The man was convulsing as his scream pierced through the ears. He shook violently until he turned completely still; his mouth hanging open, salivating, and his eyes showing only the whites. His body was twisted in ways unimaginable. Smoke rose form the body as the skin wrinkled and clutched to his bones. With the exception of the fleshy skin, it looked like a skeleton.

Amon was breathing hard from where he laid on the wooden floor. Robin was gasping, unable to take in what she just saw. Karasuma was limping over, with Doujima supporting her. And Sakaki was still.

Michael stood beside Robin, staring in awe and fear at the same time. "Amon, what have you done?"

Amon started to grunt in pain, his voice started rising to a shout. He clutched his chest, the bullet was still there, halfway in.

"We have to take out the bullet, quickly!" Karasuma told everyone.

"Amon!" Robin whispered as she knelt beside him, "Amon! Please be strong and hold on."

"We have to bring him back to Japan. We have an antidote for this." Karasuma said as she pulled the bullet out of Amon's chest with merely her hands. Amon screamed as she did.

"What is this?" Robin asked, holding the bullet up to her eye.

"Like the man said, it eats through the flesh of the witch and kills them slowly but painfully. It's like a poison, which is why we have to take the bullet out quickly to prevent it from spreading. And we need to give him the antidote as soon as possible." Karasuma answered.

"But, Amon is-" Robin started to say.

"A half witch. That's why we still have time, but not enough if we don't move quickly." Karasuma informed her. "We can use the plane we borrowed from the military to go back to Japan."

Robin nodded, determined. "Let's go."

Sakaki and Michael both lifted Amon carefully.

"Set him on his bed while I call the pilots." Karasuma ordered and took out her cellular phone.

"Amon…" Robin murmured as she watched being carried off. Beads of sweat ran through his face, his breathing became tight and labored. He was no longer shouting, the pain had subsided a bit somehow, but constantly he writhed in pain as Sakaki and Michael walked. She took a towel from one of the undisturbed kitchen cabinets and ran off to Amon's room. Doujima followed her.

"I need you fly us back to Japan as soon as possible. We have a wounded person here so you'll have to come to us. It'll be dangerous to move him too much." She commanded and clicked her phone off. She sighed as she eyed the crippled dead man on the floor, all the while wondering what she was sure was the exact same thing everyone else was thinking.

_How did Amon do that?_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Notes: **Phew, here's the next chapter. I think it's pretty long. Hehe... Here it is, I hope you like it! And I certainly hope I captured their characteristics... Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for ten more reviews before I will continue with the next chapter. Meanwhile, here's something to think about: Who is this blonde guy? And _what exactly_ was it that Amon did? Read and review, now. Thanks! X3

**P.S.** My classes start next week. Pfft... Don't worry, I'll still update anyway. But if it takes sometime, please be patient with me.Thank you all so much for your time in reading these babbles. :D


	3. Chapter Two: The Unfamiliar

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Witch Hunter Robin. But the story is mine. All mine!

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO:**

THE UNFAMILIAR

Robin was curled up in a ball in one of the plane seats. She had left the Amon's side ever since he began grunting and occasionally screaming in pain. It was a little too much to bear, considering she felt responsible for his current condition. _If only I was agile enough to dodge bullets._

"Robin…" Michael said softly as he approached. He waited for Robin to lift her head before sitting down beside her. "Amon's doing better. They gave him something to lessen the pain for a while."

Robin stared at the seat before her, "Good," She muttered.

"It's not your fault."

Robin gave a small laugh in spite of herself. "Why do you say that?"

"It was his choice to take the bullet for you, Robin," he said simply. Oh, if only it were that simple.

"My fire didn't work against the witch, Michael. But Amon, he… He did something."

"We'll just have to wait until we inject him with the antidote before we can ask him about it, right? Don't worry, we'll be in Japan soon," Michael said with a small smile.

Robin pushed back the strands of her hair that had fallen to her face. "Yes, you're right," but the insecurity in her voice could not fool even the least perceptive person.

Karasuma quietly stalked over to where the two of them were. "We'll be landing in 20 minutes. Amon has managed to calm down," Karasuma reported.

"Can I see him?" Robin asked eagerly.

"Yes, but make it quick. We should buckle up soon," Karasuma told her, taking a seat across the aisle where Michael and Robin sat.

Robin nodded and made her way to the back of the plane. It was conveniently set up for medical purposes. White machines hummed and several packs of blood and IV were neatly arranged on one corner. Amon was hooked up to a heart monitor. His breathing was shallow and labored, as though he has just come back from a heavy fight. His eyes were closed but his lips were moving.

"Hold on, Amon. We're almost there. We're almost in Japan," Robin whispered softly as she gently took his hand.

"Touko…" Amon responded as he heard the word Japan. Robin quickly put the hand back down and took a step back.

"That's right, Amon. Hold on, for Touko. We're almost there," She told him. It sounded the right thing to say. Amon always did things for Touko after all. She turned and hurriedly walked back to her seat. Not hearing Amon mutter her name as she left him.

"Buckle up!" Doujima was saying as Robin arrived. "The pilot has announced our landing." Robin took her seat beside Michael, who looked on reassuringly.

As the plane began its descend, silence enveloped the passengers. Robin wanted everyone to act their usual noisy selves. She wanted them to joke around and tell her to lighten up. But they didn't. She felt the wheels of the plane come out from underneath as it landed with a light thud. It ran on the runway for a few more minutes until it halted and the seatbelt lights went off.

There was the creaking of metal as the bridge was attached to the plane doors and several medics in white entered to drag Amon's sickbed down.

"Careful!" Karasuma ordered. She turned on her phone and started dialing. "Chief! We've just arrived. We're taking Amon to the lab now. We gave him some morphine to subdue the pain, but he's beginning to come to. The bullets are really powerful," there was a pause as the Chief answered on the other line, "Right. Get our doctors ready."

As Karasuma was clicking off her phone, Doujima and Sakaki were overseeing the proper transportation of Amon's body. "Don't move it too hard. The vibration will be harmful for the wounds."

Robin noticed, as the sickbed rolled past her, how the wound had opened up, bigger than a bullet wound, almost as though the skin was also being burnt away slowly. The bullet was still lodged on his chest, as no one on the plane knew how to remove it properly. Amon's Orbo Amulet was now glowing in rhythm with his breathing, which Robin took to be a bad sign. Sakaki saw Robin staring and quickly brought the blanket up to cover his chest and the amulet.

"Let's go," Michael told Robin, a bit of urgency in his voice. He saw it too.

The ride to the lab was not as long as Robin feared. They got there in a matter of 10 minutes, as the driver took careful detours and shortcuts along narrow streets and alleys. Japan was slowly awakening, for it was still dusk, and all Robin could see in the city was a slow stirring. She felt like she was coming to Japan for the first time although she had been away from it for four years.

Chief Kosaka was waiting outside the entrance of the office with some doctors in white coats. Robin felt repulsed by them as she saw them with clipboard in hand, and neatly ironed overcoats. They adjusted their eyeglasses every so often. Her thoughts drift to how she used to be around all these doctors before, being genetically engineered like they said she was. She didn't trust doctors and labs. 'It's the hospital,' she tells herself, 'It's different here, they'll make Amon better.'

"All right, take him in," Chief Kosaka told his men. "Carefully now," he turned to Karasuma. "What happened?"

"It's the new prototype bullet the STN agents use, Chief. I'm not entirely sure if the one who attacked us was an STN agent himself. But he could protect himself against Robin's flames…" Karasuma answered.

"What's strange was how they managed to find Amon and Robin. I remember hearing him say how the target was spotted," Sakaki said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I'd say it was a hunter. I guess Italy is no longer safe for you."

"Neither is Japan," Robin says simply.

"Don't be so negative, Robin dear. We'll all be here to protect you while Amon is recovering. We promise!" Doujima swears.

"If they're hunting me, it wouldn't be safe for you to be with me. I was powerless against them. They obviously developed some sort of new technology that makes them immune against witchcraft. If Amon hadn't…" Robin trailed off.

"If Amon hadn't what?" Chief Kosaka asked.

"It's not clear to us either, Chief. We'll have to ask Amon when he gets better," Karasuma shakes her head, "We should go in and check on him."

"Well, I guess you'll be taking up my offer to stay in my apartment for a while," Sakaki told Robin.

"Yes, well… It's just temporary. I would prefer living alone, just in case something like this happens again. I can't risk it," Robin tells them.

"We made a promise, Robin. Now stop it with that attitude," Doujima scolds. She prattles on about how Sakaki's apartment is always a mess and how Robin will probably be the one cleaning after him, since she was always the neat one.

The sounds of voices were distant to Robin as they all entered the building to see how Amon was doing. _The bullet_, Robin thought, _it was designed for witches. And yet Amon was affected. And what he did back then. Could he be…? Could it be the reason for his sudden changes? But Amon hates witches…_

Robin abruptly stops and shakes her head, willing the topic to stay away from her mind. She could see it in their faces as they turned to look back at her. They were avoiding the topic as well. Will Amon still be the same when he wakes up?

The chief leads them down a hidden staircase, where the walls have been paneled silver and metal. At the end of the hall was a room covered in glass and in it was Amon. The doctors stepped out as soon as they saw the Chief.

"We've removed all the bullets and given him the antidote. All we need to do is wait. He's weak right now and we don't know how his body will react to the antidote," the doctor was saying.

The Orbo Amulet was glowing less fiercely now as Amon's breathing was considerably more relaxed than it had been on the plane.

Robin finally lets out the sigh of relief that she had been holding in for seemingly all the four years she has been away with him.

"Amon!" Says an all too familiar voice. Robin turns and sees Touko running down the stairs and towards them. Touko, the tall, gorgeous _woman_ who always had a sureness about herself, so different from Robin. _No wonder_, Robin finds herself thinking.

"Oh, Robin!" Touko says as she sees her standing by the glass room. She gives her a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe. Amon has been calling me and updating me of your whereabouts. I called and heard the ruckus," she says a little out of breath.

_So it was her who called after all_, Robin realized, _I should have known_. "The doctors say he'll be all right, Touko. We just have to wait for him to wake up."

"Yes, I know Amon. He's a fighter. He won't let a couple of wounds ruin him," she says, a hint of pride and confidence. "But I'm worried about you, Robin. Do you have a place to stay? My apartment is still open for you, you know that don't you?"

The memory of the attack always stayed fresh in Robin's mind and she immediately pulled away from Touko. "I don't… I don't think that would be clever, Touko. Thank you for the offer."

"No. Please don't think about that. I've moved to a different place and learned how to defend myself," she said trying to reassure Robin.

"Perhaps Amon would be interested," Robin tells her suddenly.

Everyone quiets down as Touko looks intently into Robin's eyes, searching. "Why do you say that?"

"He mutters your name in his sleep sometimes. And on the plane earlier, he mentioned you again. I think he misses you," she answers boldly.

"You haven't changed, Robin. Still so naive," Touko answers.

"I'll look for an apartment, Touko. I would like to live by myself,"

"But she'll be staying with me in the meantime, Touko. Don't worry," Sakaki chimes in.

"That's a bit inappropriate, for a lady to stay with a man," Touko shrugs and looks down at her feet, "I'll go and check on him, all right?" She says and enters the automatic doors.

Robin watches her as she sits by his bedside and strokes his hair. She whispers to him softly. Amon stirs. He responds to her voice. _After all these years, Touko is still in his heart_. Robin tells herself. Suddenly a throbbing sensation hits the back of her head, so sudden and so strong, as though an iron rod had struck it. She's falling.

"Robin!" Everyone calls in unison. And as she falls she sees before her eyes a blue as deep as the ocean, shining as if it was being caressed by the sunlight. The blue of the ocean falls into the sky.

She remembers retching before falling into the abyss.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** After a couple of years, surprise, surprise! I decided to continue this fic simply because I love WHR. Haha! I hope people will still read. Anyway, sorry for typos or grammos, I wrote this hurriedly before going to school. University's hell! I just needed to course all my frustrations and stress through something. I still don't know where this is going but do me a favor and R&R, why don't you!? :)


	4. Chapter Three: Nightmare

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** I am constantly surprised when I get e-mails prompting me about people marking this as one of their favorite stories. I feel truly overjoyed that I decided to update. And this time it didn't take me a whole year before I did lol. Think of it as my late Christmas present to you, my dear readers, to show my gratitude! :)

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I tried making the imagery as vivid as I could. I really hope I conveyed my vision of the dream sequence well enough.

**

* * *

CHAPTER THREE:**

**NIGHTMARE**

"Sorry I haven't visited in a while. Things have been busy here at the firm," Nagira said.

"It's all right. I don't wish to bother you any further after all the help you gave me in finding this apartment," Robin answered, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear. She was cutting some carrots to put into the ramen she was cooking.

"It's my pleasure to help you. You know that," there was a pause but Robin was already mentally preparing herself to answer the question that was about to come, "How is he? It has been the longest two weeks of my life, worrying about that brother of mine."

"He's fine," was her immediate response, "The doctors say his vitals have improved a lot and his brain activity is normal. I've noticed it peaks when Touko speaks to him. I'm confident she'll get him to wake up soon."

"And you?"

"Never been better."

There was laughter from the other line, "All of that sounded rehearsed."

Robin was about to deny it when her phone beeped, signaling that a call was waiting on another line.

"It's okay, Robin. I'll visit you soon," Nagira told her.

"Thank you. I'll be expecting you," Robin said as she switched to the other caller, "Hello?"

"Hey!" It was Sakaki's voice, "You haven't come to visit Amon in two days, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Robin answered as she switched off the stove and poured her food into a bowl.

"Touko's been here almost everyday. The doctor thinks they're making excellent progress."

"Well, that's good," she said as she took in the smell of her ramen.

"Why'd you go and live in an apartment on the other side of town anyway? It makes it hard for everyone to check on you. We're all worried you now, after that incident."

"I told you, I was simply a little tired then. Don't worry about me."

"Do you need anything? Karasuma and Doujima have been planning to visit you but we've been having missions popping up at random moments…"

"It's all right. I'll see you tomorrow when I visit Amon," she said taking a quiet sip of soup.

"Okay. And Robin…?" Sakaki asked nervously.

"Hmm?" she responded between a mouthful of noodles.

"Nothing. It can wait," and he hung up.

Robin looked at her cellphone, at the screen displayed the call details, as she chewed her ramen and decided that whatever it was Sakaki wanted to say was something important. She tried to call him back but the operator told her the number was currently out of reach.

It was an hour later when she finished cleaning up and getting ready for bed. She was living alone in a small but daintily furnished apartment at the edge of the city. Nagira had promised to take care of the rent for the first month of Robin's stay as a sort of welcome home party as well as a gift for bringing his brother back to him. He also advised her that it might not be safe to stay in Japan for a long period of time. "Though as long as you're here, you have more protection," Nagira had said, referring to her Witch Hunter friends.

Witch Hunter friends, now there's an irony if she's ever heard one.

Lying down in bed, she stared at the ceiling, a feeling of unrest nestling over her thoughts. She stood up and closed her windows. The night brought chills that made the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. She took out a candle from her bedside table and used her craft to light it. She set it on the windowsill and immediately the warmth of the orange light it cast calmed her nerves.

She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

_She remembers having this dream many times before. This long corridor leading to double doors carved with a war scene between angels and devils. In all her dreams she awoke before opening those doors. _

_It already felt like a routine, her feet making their own way down the long stretch of carpet. The walls were lined with many photographs of men and women in Victorian garb, their eyes downcast as if in shame, or pity. Robin already knew where every photograph was placed. She knew when to swivel her head to the left or to the right, knew that with every step she took she was getting nearer and nearer the double doors that never opened. The last portrait always caught her attention. _

_It was of a beautiful young woman, her hair the color of sunshine, several shades lighter than Robin's. She was shown weaving a crown of flowers, sitting in a garden. A carefree smile perched on her face, a hopeful twinkle in her young eyes. Hers was the only portrait that showed her eyes staring straight out from the frame. They were a deep blue, almost like the ocean. Robin remembers having this feeling of familiarity every time she visited this dream._

"_I've seen those eyes before," she always told herself. _

_She turned toward the doors and braced herself. She always got pulled out of the dream once she tried to push open the doors. She set her hands on the silver handles and pushed._

_They opened with the gentle creak of doors that have not been opened for ages. However, in this silent and desolate place, the gentle creak sounded like a booming roar. Robin stepped inside and marveled at the enormity of the room._

_The room beyond was circular and large, like a ballroom. Its floors were carpeted in rich scarlet velvet, the walls surrounded by stained glass windows depicting scenes from myths and legends: of knights slaying dragons, of princes reclaiming their lost princesses, of townspeople burning witches…_

_Suddenly there was an effigy before her. A woman with golden hair tied to a wooden cross. Her body was limp, her head bowed down. As Robin inched closer, she realized it was no effigy._

_The girl's head snapped up suddenly, her face contorted in anguish, her mouth opened, ready to scream if the need arises. Her eyes a deep blue stained with. They were open so wide, as though invisible hands were forcing them open_._ The girl started to cry, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. But her tears were not the usual clear colored tears, they were crimson. It was blood._

_Robin tried to look away but she could not move at all. It was as though her head was being held by the same hands holding the girl's eyes open. The girl began calling to her in the most pained of voices._

"_Robin! Robin! _Per favore_… _Aiuto_!!!" She cried in anguish. "_Aiuto_!! Robin!!" The woman began to writhe in pain, her eyes almost bulging out of her head, the crimson blood like free-flowing tears. Robin felt her feet moving, her hands reaching out to the girl._

_The girl let out a piercing shriek as fire engulfed her whole body._

The shrieking did not stop. It permeated the room until Robin realized she was screaming in the dark. She screamed until her voice was hoarse. She put a trembling hand to her mouth to stop herself. She slowly descended the bed and switched on the lights. The room was as she had left it. There was no one and nothing. She noticed the window had been blown open by the wind, blowing away the flames of the candle that kept her calm.

* * *

She spent the rest of that night without sleep. She saw tiny flashing images of the girl every time she closed her eyes. She decided to set out early to visit Amon. She remembered an old abandoned church from when she went out exploring the week before. She felt the need to go there for prayers; perhaps it was due to the fact that she was raised in a convent. She decided it was still too early for a visit and set out toward the old church. She avoided looking into any mirrors or surfaces that would cast reflections, for fear of seeing any more images. As she walked, her expression was grave as she tried to suppress any thoughts related to last night's dreams. Everyone seemed to avoid her gaze as well.

Rounding the last corner, the road turned from cobblestones to grass. Remnants of what once was a grand and majestic church stood on a grassy expanse of land where she sometimes saw children flying kites. It had high walls covered in vines, preventing people from entering what she guessed was the church cemetery at the back. The old crumbling structure was large and reminded her of her convent back in Italy. Rows and rows of pews lined the aisle. At the end of the aisle was a large statue of the Virgin Mary carrying the baby Jesus Christ. A few stained glass windows and half-hanging dirty curtains survived. Robin sat on the front left pew. It was one of the few that could still hold her weight. The others were either broken in half or had splinters dangerously sticking out. She tried to calm her mind, seeking solitude in this quiet, deserted place. She wanted nothing but to seek protection from the bad dreams. She clasped her hands together, took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

The images kept flashing in her mind.

The girl. Crying tears of blood. Calling out her name. Calling out for help. _"Robin!"_ she kept screaming, _"Robin!! _Aiuto!!_"_ She kept begging her to help. Calling her name, _"Robin!!!" _She was crying tears of blood. Calling out her name. Engulfed in flames.

"Noooooo!" Robin screamed and covered her ears. She did not want to hear the girl call her name, begging her to help. But the voice kept ringing in her ears until it felt like her eardrums would shatter. She crawled to the nearest corner of the church, beneath one of the stained-glass windows, as she heard the voice calling her name in a frenzy. Robin covered her head as a loud piercing shriek broke the stained glass to a million pieces, shattering like crystals before her, falling to the ground like rain. "Please! Stop!! STOP!!!!!!"

Fire broke loose inside the church.

Robin had begun to cry as she tried shaking the voices from her ears. She banged the ground in frustration wiping her tears from her face. She noticed her hands were bloodied.

"What… No… NOOO!!" She wiped more tears off her face, still she saw blood on her hands. "No! Please!"

The flames had begun to spread among the pews and the curtains until it seemed like the church would be eaten alive.

"ROBIN!!!" came a loud male voice, "WHERE ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME!!!"

The voice seemed to snap her back to reality. "S.. Sakaki??"

"Robin!! You have to control the flames! Make them subside!" Came his reply.

She knew she could not do it. There was too much turmoil inside her for her to control her power efficiently. "I CAN'T!!!" She started to scream, "I CAN'T!!!" The girl's voice returned inside her head. It called out to her again.

"Yes you can!! Do it, Robin!! Robin!!!"

"STOP!! PLEASE STOP THE VOICES!!"

The fire grew angrier and angrier until it drowned out any voices altogether. From outside, Sakaki watched in horror as the fire intensified and roared, the last thing he remembered thinking was that this must be what hell looks like.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I think I neglected to put Nagira in the previous chapters but he plays an important part in the lives of Robin and Amon so I decided to start including him from this point on. And Sakaki wasn't initially part of that last scene but I don't know why I put him there. I'm sure I'll figure something out for you all! Please be patient with me!! 8D

Plus, I think that it's weird that I'd have two stories (conceived at different times and for different titles) involving hospitalization. Tifa Lockhart just woke up after three days of being unconscious in my other story though. Don't know why Amon won't. Lol.


	5. Chapter Four: The Angel Gabriel

**Author's Notes:** Hello there again! Thank you all so much for your patience! I am just really loaded with work lately. 24 hours is not enough to do both what I need and want to do. D:

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**THE ANGEL GABRIEL**

Robin could vaguely remember what happened between the church fire and the present.

She recalled hearing the voice shrieking stubbornly in her head, asking for her help, the voice escalating until the words begun to sound like echoes ringing in her head- echoes of sinister laughter. There had been a shattering sound, perhaps the stained-glass window broken, from the way the pieces fell to the floor casting different shades of light on the fire. There had also been a strong set of hands, dragging her up, weightless and numb from the insanity of it all. Suddenly she was away from the fiery red, staring into a pool of deep blue ocean. The gentle hands on her ash-blackened face, the beautiful blue eyes, even her own calming heart was telling her she was safe.

_Safe?_

"Robin? You've been asleep for only a few hours since we got here. Maybe you should rest some more."

She turned her head toward the voice, and saw for the first time, that she was in a lovely white bedroom, with furnishings fit for a queen. She immediately felt out of place. She sat on the bed facing the window where the last light of day was casting purple and orange light across the cold marble floor, as well as shadows of shapes she could not recognize. She could not see the face to whom the voice belonged for it too was cast in shadow. Her defenses went up.

"Relax," the voice said with a laugh, "Forgive me. Where are my manners?"

Perhaps it had been the way the man had spoken, or his voice, his accent, which made Robin realize she knew who he was before he had shown himself. "Italy," she declared suddenly, surprising even herself.

The man stepped out of the shadows, a hand on his heart, "I'm quite flattered you remember," he said. Robin froze as she was taken in by his eyes. He turned away shyly, "I suppose my eyes do take some getting used to."

Robin flushed, suddenly conscious that she had been staring, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. Your eyes are lovely," she blurted out and looked quite like she wanted to take it back.

He laughed a soft broken laugh, "That compliment means much more to me coming from you."

Robin flushed some more but felt at ease in his presence. Silently, she felt him approach her and she kept her gaze fixed on her feet, and the fact that the bed was so high her feet were hanging a few inches above the floor though she sat close to the edge.

"Would you like to know what happened?" he asked, his voice so close.

Robin was suddenly aware of herself, of how she was dressed in a nightgown, and how her hair laid in a mess down her shoulders and back. As though he could read her mind, he answered, "I had my maids dress you and some doctors look at your wounds."

She looked up at him through her mess of hair at the mention of wounds.

"You hands," he said gently, as though talking to a child, "and your knees. All very minor but should be cared for nonetheless."

Robin stared wonderingly at her bandaged hands. She could remember what happened to her but none of the fear, the dread and the turmoil returned to her mind, or to her heart. It was like she had been drained of poison after so many days of sickness, and now she was out of bed for the first time. She was actually feeling like her quiet self.

He sighed, "I'm afraid of leaving you now."

She turned to him like a lost kitten, she did not want him to leave her alone either, in this place where she knew nothing and no one, but why would he be afraid? He looked at her, conflicted; As though he wanted to explain to her but couldn't. He truly was afraid, "Perhaps I should first show you, and explain to you later."

Without an explanation, he turned to leave. He turned to sneak one last look at Robin, his eyes not quite sure if he was doing the right thing.

As soon as he shut the door, a box opened in Robin's chest.

All the fear and chaos came crashing back down, overwhelming her, pushing her to the floor. The voice called to her again, beckoned her, but this time a bit softer than before, a bit more tolerable. But her heart was beating so fast it was in danger of jumping out of her chest. She began to moan as she fought to control her tears, as she fought to control the fire she was sure would engulf this room. She fought to keep her eyes shut.

She heard the door open and close and a rush of feet toward her. She felt the hands gently pull her face up, she heard the words telling her to look into his eyes. The voice was so convincing, despite her fear, her resistance, she opened her eyes and all her tears came rolling down her cheeks. But with it came the freedom of her spirit. It was as though none of the chaos she felt awhile ago existed. Only this moment, her face in his hands, his beautiful eyes…

He suddenly looked away and slumped on the bed, "Remind me never to try that again. It was dangerous for both of us," he said through gasps of air.

"Are you all right?" she asked, somehow knowing that he was this way because of her.

He turned to smile at her, "It's not your fault. This always happens after."

'After using your powers?' she thought.

"Yes," he looked at her seriously, "Yes, after using my powers. I control emotions, you see. But only the good ones." And he turned away to look out the window, weary.

"And you can read my thoughts…?"

"Only those you subconsciously direct at me," he said still looking out at the moon coming out of the clouds, "Other than that I can't read any thoughts at all."

He grinned sheepishly at her and she felt suddenly embarrassed and tried not to think about his eyes, "I'm sorry..." She started, suddenly out of words to say.

"I can only protect you to a certain extent you know," he told her as he leaned back his head, his golden hair spreading lazily on the bed, he pointed toward the shadow where he first showed himself, "I've sat on that couch the whole time you were asleep, but that's as far as I can be from you to still be able to protect you. Your mind and your emotions."

"Protect me?"

"Yes," he told her, "I think someone is after you, Robin."

Robin was somehow not surprised, "But then I can't rely on you to protect me forever. It makes you tired, and you can't be with me all the time. I have to go back home and you have to go back home and…"

"Don't worry about that for now. I have taken you far away in the meantime. And even here the power of whoever is doing this can reach you," he shuddered, "That's why you need to stay with me awhile. I need to teach you to shield your mind, to control your emotions. You're right. I can't protect you forever. I'm not strong enough."

"Where are we then? Can't I even tell my friends where I am? They might be worried. Sakaki... He was there outside the church, he tried to talk to me but I... Oh I burned it down didn't I?" Robin said, suddenly mad at herself. She stared at her hands, a stubborn frown fixed upon her face.

"The church was already in ruins before. In fact I think you did it a favor, burning it down. It seems like a cursed place if you ask me," he considered her carefully, "Perhaps we can arrange a phone call tomorrow. Right now I think we both should rest," he began to stand up weakly.

"Wait," she stood up to help him. Their faces were uncomfortably close, Robin had to fight the urge not to blush or look away when she asked him, "Why are you helping me?"

His face softened and she saw for the first time, his handsome features, his full firm mouth, his strong jaw and of course his eyes… He blushed a little bit and Robin realized he must have heard her thoughts, "I'm sorry," she said looking away.

"I'll teach you to protect your thoughts from everyone who wishes to intrude it without your permission. So don't worry, I won't let it get to me," he said mischievously, "Now you must rest, Robin. You've been through a lot today. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Wait," Robin said again, "You haven't told me your name."

"You have a way of making me forget myself," he said softly, with a smile, "It's Gabriel."

'Like the angel,' she thought. He gave her a sudden uneasy look.

"I certainly hope I can meet your expectations," he said, eyes downcast. Before Robin could respond, he had retreated into the shadows from where he came. She heard the gentle fluffing of couch pillows, and then silence.


	6. Chapter Five: Pursuit

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**PURSUIT**

The worst part about being the Eve of Witches is the sadness. Robin can sense the sadness of every witch, living or dead, every time she passed by a place they were attached to. She hadn't told anyone about it, not even Amon, and so she suffered in silence until she became used to it. It became a sort of passing thing, like an accidental touch when you cross paths with someone on a narrow sidewalk. Sometimes it lingered when she herself was sad. They jumble until it becomes unclear which sadness belongs to whom, and in the end she bears it as her own. That she had become used to as well.

Today was a little different.

The sadness that touched her was unusually sharp and crisp that it woke Robin from one of the most peaceful slumbers she had had in a while. She opened her eyes but it was still slightly dark. Staring out the window, she watched as the sun slowly crept out, tinting the sky in violets and pinks from behind faraway mountains. She caught herself when she felt her mind slipping toward the distance.

She listened to the silence of the room and decided her companion was still asleep on the couch. She risked a quick glance and saw him asleep, his face looking calm, but _not quite _peaceful. It seemed there was something bothering him.

He groaned softly as his eyes came open to see her staring at him. He sat up slowly and rubbed his neck, "Good morning, Robin. Did you sleep well?"

"Were you having a bad dream?" Robin suddenly blurted out. She realized the sadness had come from this man, who always gave the impression of nonchalance. He didn't seem like the man she had come to know these past few days.

He looked a bit surprised as she mentioned this. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and nodded, "It happens when I'm a bit tired, I think."

Robin looked down, "I'm sorry."

"How can my bad dreams be your fault?" he asked as cheerfully as he could muster in his newly wakened state.

Robin was hesitant to proceed with the conversation.

"Can I ask you a question? How did you know I was having a bad dream?" He looked genuinely curious as he asked this.

"I… sensed it," she said, trying to gauge his reaction, "I can sense these things, with…"

"Witches?" he offered.

Robin was taken aback. She wasn't entirely sure how some people might react to being called a witch, "Or craft-users…?" she suggested, trying to rectify the situation.

"It's fine. I've known for a while that my abilities go far beyond some simple craft. I don't mind being referred to as a witch, although I would mind immensely about being hunted," he joked.

Robin was surprised that he would joke around about such a matter. There are still some people who would put a price for a witch's head on a platter.

Gabriel nodded his assent, "No one knows about me except for Jarvis and a handful of my people who I trust," and then realizing what he had done, quickly apologized. "Forgive me for listening in on your thoughts. I like listening to your voice. Sometimes I forget I'm doing it from inside your mind," he bit his lip, "That sounded odd didn't it?"

Robin smiled slightly at this. Taking a more serious expression, she told him, "I would never tell anyone you wouldn't allow to know."

"That sounds like a promise," he acknowledged, "In any case, I'm certain you won't put me in danger."

Three quiet taps on the door interrupted their early-morning conversation.

"Come in," Gabriel said in a serious tone. His expression immediately hardened as one of his men entered the room. He was a tall man with silver hair and a kind face. He had the appearance of a worried grandfather, his mouth pulled down in a hard frown.

"Sorry to intrude, Sir, Madam," He said respectfully, with a smile that crinkled his eyes for Robin. Turning to Gabriel, he said, "Sir, there has been a development."

"Development? Regarding the _haunting_?"

"_Haunting_?" Robin interjected.

"Yes. I'm so sorry to put you through this again. First humans tried to hunt you, now a witch is trying to haunt you," he sighed, face riddled with sympathy.

"Haunt… me?" Robin wondered aloud.

"I'm not entirely sure about the whole business," he told her patiently, "This kind of thing hasn't been done in hundreds of years, you see. Well, not effectively anyway. What is it, Jarvis?"

"The witch is on the move to Italy, Sir. We've been tracked. It won't be soon until the witch finds out our exact location," Gabriel seemed far from surprise at this statement.

"Interesting. This is quite some devotion on the witch's part," Gabriel said, trying to make light of the situation, "Did we find out anything more concrete on the witch? Like the extent of abilities? Or even the identity?"

"Our files have reached the height of their use, Sir. We need more information," Jarvis said somberly, shaking his head.

"Information on witches, you mean?" Robin asked.

Gabriel looked at her carefully, probably already knowing what she was about to propose. He looked thoughtfully back at Jarvis, "The witch is coming here, you say? And we haven't even settled back home," he said a bit sadly, "We can leave a fake trail, maybe. Deceive her for a bit…"

"My friend Michael back in Japan may be able to give you the information you need," Robin said almost pleadingly. She had been separated from them for far too long. All she wanted was to live her life with her friends, in peace. It was a foolish dream, especially now.

"I understand, Robin," Gabriel said gently, in response to her thoughts. Going back to business, he added, "I recognize the need for information. Assuming this witch _is_ from Japan, there is a large chance the files are abundant there. I only wonder… Will they trust me?"

Robin looked at him, stubbornly defending her friends, "They will help you as this concerns me too."

"I know that, but don't they still work for the new STN-J? Witch-hunting still exists in STN agencies. What makes you think they won't change their minds and decide to hunt you? Or me."

Robin shivered as the image of Amon shooting her with an Orbo Gun threatened to creep into her mind. She pushed it back with all her might for fear that Gabriel will see them. If this was a test, she intended to pass it. "I promised I won't let them know about you," she said, skipping the part about herself being hunted if she became too dangerous.

"I'm not worried for myself, actually," he clasped his hands together, "You burned a church to the ground. The one I saved you from. That was quite a big church," he stated matter-of-factly, "Isn't that going to be a concern for them now? Doesn't that make you a _dangerous_ witch?"

Robin was doubtful for the first time as she looked away from Gabriel. Finally, she said, "We have no choice. I'll face the consequences. If this witch successfully haunts me, she might do it to someone else as well. It's…" Robin suddenly found something interesting to look at in her hands, "It's unpleasant to experience. I wouldn't wish it on another person."

Gabriel smiled, "Sorry for probing you like that, Robin. I just wanted to know if you were absolutely sure this course of action was what you _really_ wanted. And that you know the possible scenarios you might be faced with when we arrive."

Robin closed her eyes. She wished one of those scenarios would be Amon waking up. It felt like she had been away from him for ever.

Gabriel averted his gaze, "We've only been away from Japan for 2 days."

"It feels longer than that…" she whispered.

Gabriel stood up, "Well then, I would go to the control room now but I don't know if the fact that the witch is getting nearer by the minute makes the haunting more dreadful. Would it be all right if I asked you to come with me?"

Robin understood. Until she learns to block off mental intrusions, she would need to stay in the presence if this man. This man whose abilities include negating others' mental intrusions, leaving only his own…

Robin immediately regretted thinking her last thought as she watched Gabriel's face darken, "Don't worry," he told her silently, "I promise I will teach you how to protect your mind. I don't take what you said too personally. I wouldn't want people in my head neither," he turned towards the door and said over his shoulder, "I'll give you some privacy to change out of your nightgown."

"Wait!" Robin said, remembering the last time he left her alone inside her room.

Gabriel turned back with a wink, "Don't worry, I'll be right outside this door if you need me."

Robin uneventfully changed into a baby blue sundress Gabriel had provided for her. His eyes brightened at the sight of her and Robin immediately felt the pull of his beautiful oceanic eyes.

"The control room," he said, trying to focus on the matter at hand, "is where our best tracking machines are located. It's a special machine I designed. I transfer the needed amount of my mental energy into the machine to make it work properly."

"Transfer your energy?"

"Yes," he said as they boarded the elevator up, "Any type of energy can be transferred to an object. It's much like when you light a candle with your Fire Craft. You transfer your fire to the candle, right? It's the same with other crafts. You just need to find some sort of object to harness it with."

The elevator opened on the top floor of Gabriel's manor.

"You created such an object?" Robin asked, slightly impressed.

Gabriel blushed a bit, "Yes. It's a helmet-like thing. You'll see later on. This might be useful to STN-J. Maybe they'll be easier on me once I present this machine," he said, giving a careless wave.

'_Yes. I hope they'll be easy on us both,'_ Robin thought, and then it suddenly occurred to her to ask worriedly, "If you present this to STN-J, how will you explain the origin of the power it uses to operate?"

Gabriel merely shrugged as he looked at a blinking dot on a map.

* * *

"Any luck?" Touko asked from Amon's bedside.

Sakaki shook his head as he entered the sickroom.

"Sakaki is always at the right place at the right time, but he always somehow managed to mess up," Doujima said jokingly from a chair in one corner of the room.

"Hey!"

"Well it's true! You were there but somehow Robin still disappears?" Doujima stated.

"Why don't _you_ try stepping into a heavily burning building? Let's see how you'll like it!" Sakaki said incredulously.

"Shush, you two. I'm pretty sure Amon can hear us," Karasuma snapped for Amon's heart rate had picked up slightly. He was still unconscious and the doctors were unsure what it meant, except that his vitals were stable.

"Still no sign of Robin…" Touko said softly, turning to them, "It's been two days…"

Karasuma shook her head, "When the flames were extinguished, there were no signs of her anywhere. She literally just disappeared. And the Church was more unrecognizable than before."

"Robin wouldn't burn a church down on purpose!" Doujima said defensively.

"No one's saying that!" Sakaki told her, "Something's definitely off…"

"I saw your report, about the broken glass," Karasuma started.

Sakaki nodded, "I'm not sure how but I'm hoping she managed to escape through that… This whole thing… It feels like a trap."

An exclamation brought the three agents' attention to the other side of the room.

"What's wrong Touko?" Doujima asked.

"H-How long have you been listening?" She asked the man with the half-opened eyes, staring up at the ceiling.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Wow. I reread the first few chapters of this story and I just can't get over the difference between how I write then and now.

Anyway, I rewatched WHR and saw the discrepancies between that and what I wrote in the previous chapters. How could I forget that Michael was part of the team that infiltrated the Factory. He has been able to leave the STN-J headquarters even before the show ended! And also, the Karasuma et al are all still agents of the new STN-J headed by Kosaka. I messed up in my previous chapters! Argh. My bad. I'll fix it, I'll fix it. Hope you guys enjoy this one!


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